Animal-trap.



C. BOWLING.

ANIMAL TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 23, 1914.

1 151 A38 Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

I CHARLES BOWLING, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

ANIMAL-TRAP.

Application filed January 23, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, OIIARLES=BOWLING, acitizen. of the United States, residing atBuffalo, in the county of Erieand State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements inAnimal-Traps, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to animal traps;

In carrying out myinvention it is my purpose to simplify and improve theexisting art by constructing a trap primarily adapted for ensnaringsmall animals, such as rodents; that will be provided with a bait thatis visible to the animal but which is arranged out of contact by theanimal; the said trap having both of its ends provided with doors, allof which being pivoted to permit of the entranceof an. animal to thetrap and which will close automatically after the. animal. enters thetrap to imprisonthe animal within the trap and the said doors beingsoarranged as to prevent the escape of one animal out of the trap when asecond animal enters the trap.

A further object of the invention is to provide a substantiallyrectangular trap having its ends provided with wall passages and baitboxes secured to the inner transverse wall of one'of the passages, bothof the passages being provided with a tiltable floor, the outer end ofwhich being weighted by a platform so that the inner edge of said floorswill be automatically'swung into con tact with the inner wall of thepassages, to

close the said passages.

Another object of the invention is to provide a trap having transparentsides upon which are positioned bait boxes, the bait being visible fromthe exterior of the trap,

and whereby an entrapped animal as well as the bait will serve as asnare for enticing other animals within theltrap.

A further object of the invention is to provide a substantiallyrectangular trap having transparent sides and its ends provided withdoors which close automatically, one of the said ends being pivotallysecured to thetrap and being provided with detachable wings whereby thesame may be locked 7 upon the trap, the said end providing means"whereby ensnar'ed animals may be delivered from the trap. 1

A still further ob ect of the invention is to provide a trap of this.character with bait boxes having bait therein which is not ac=Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 813,974.

cessible to the animal either when in the act .of entering or whenensnared within the trap, the said bait being so arranged within theboxes as to permit of the aroma of the same being diffused through theboxes, and also whereby the bait may be used an indefinite periodwithout danger of the same becoming decayed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a trap constructed inaccordance with the present, invention, Fig. 2 is a rear elevationof thesame, Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal sectional view of thesame, Fig.

,4 is a transverse. sectional .view on the line 4 l of Fig. .3, and Fig.5 is a detail per- Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

spective view looking toward one end of the trap and illustrating theend raised over-the topof the trap to permit of the removal :of thecaptured animals from the trap.

As shown in the drawings, the trap coin prises a substantiallyrectangular body or casing, preferablyconstructed of some inexpensivemetal, such as tin. The casing 1 has its top 2,:adjacent one of itsends, preferably stepped to provide a reduced portion 2, the end ofwhich being entirely open. The opposite closed end, which may bedesignatedby the numeral 3, is slitted from its top vertically at twopoints, each an equal distance from its corners, or from the sides ofthe trap, the slits terminating almost at equalp'ointsabove the loweredge of the end 3, and the metal between the slits is bent inwardly toprovide a floor or shelf 4, and the inner edges of the end provided bythe opening thus formed have secured thereto I longitudinally extendingwalls 4 providing this end of the trap with a passage 5. The

walls extend to and may be connected with the top of the trap, the samebeing bent beneath the trap and continued in a horizontal plane topoints 'adjacentvthe sides 2. of the trap, and from thence bentdownwardly in a plane with that of the sides 2." These verticallystraight bent portions provide the upper lon itudinal edges of the trapwith flanges 6, and the walls 4 as well as the flanges 6 extend thelongitudinal length of the trap between the end 3 and the wall orshoulder 7 which provides the riser of the stepped portion of the'top,and the'said walls and their flanges are preferably secured toftheinnerface of said rlser 7 The walls 4: are'connectedi at their inner ends"through the medium ofa suitable plate 8,

and arranged upon the upper portion or said plate, or to the'in'nerfaceof the riser 7 is a bait box 9, the same beingprovided with a glassor other transparent closure 10, and arranged within the said box is abait, preferably of grain. The passage 5, at a suitable distance beyondthe end 8 is pro.- vided with a horizontally disposed, approximatelycentrally arranged floor ll' which is 1 connected with the walls 4, andwhich has its reariendfbent downwardly,as at .12, and its extremitycurved mwardly and downwardly to provide a lip 13. The vertical portion12 of the wall 11 has secured thereto a bait box '14, the said boxbeing'provided with a transparentclosure 15, and the bait within the boxis preferably of grain, or the same may be of other material which willentice the animals to be trapped, but the bait should be of somesubstancewhich' will not'readily rotor become decomposed, as the-baitisadapted to last the life of the trap If des red, however," thetransparent faces or closures of thebaitfl-boxesfi and lt may be, andpreferably are, removable so that should occasion arisewherein a baitof-a. different material; is desired, the same maybe placed within theboxes. The clovisible, and'while also serving to protect and preservethe bait, do not render the boxes hermetically sealed, as it isdesiredthat the aroma of the bait be scented by; the animals. Arranged abovethe horizontally-disposed wall or ledge a is a floor 16, the same beingpivotally secured between thewalls l, asat 17, and the inner edge ofthe; said platform is adapted toabut with the lip 13 of the partition12. The outer portion of the floor 16 is provided with a platform .18,the same being'of a width approximately. equaling the width of the trap,and addingto'theweight of the floor- 16,; retains the inner! end ofthesaid floor in engagement with'the lip 13,

as will be readily understood. The wall or ledge 4 is arranged betweenthe platform 18 and the pivot 17, sothat the same will not interferewith the tilting of the floor when an animal, attracted byfthelbaitwithin the 1 box 14, walks upon the said floor, the weight of the animalbeing'suflicient to swingthe' outer end provided withthe platform 18upwardly.v to cause the animal to slide within the receptaclel. It willbe noted that, the

passage 5 passages, is a second pivoted betweenthe walls 4Hto the rearof the baitjbox 14:, as indicated by the numeral horizontal floor orpartitionll divides'theinto upper and lower-portions or and resting uponthe said wall 11 tilta-ble floor 19, the same being 20, andtheportionofthe floor resting upon the partition 11 being weighted,,so.that the opposite endof the said floor normally contacts: with the.lower angular portion 21 of I the wall 8. The floor 19 is disposedasuitable distance below the bait box .9, and an animal traveling uponthe said floor will be precipitated to within the trap, before the saidanimal reaches the bait box, as the r 2 weight of the animal will tiltthe inner end of the floor 19,as will readily-be understood..-

The topjas well asthe bottom'an'd ends ofthe casing are flanged toprovide'open sides, and bearing against all of said flanges and closingthe said sides are plates of transparent material 22, serted between andthe flanges 60f the walls 4. The lower or bottom wall of the trap to theopposite sides thereof are provided with upstanding longitudinallydisposedplates or fianges23 which are. arranged opposite the outerflanges of the bottom, the said'fianges 23 the said plates being ,inrthe side-flanges" of the top contacting with the inner faces ofthetransparent plates 22 and so sustaining the said plates upon the trap.Secured to eachof the flanges 23, is a bait box 24, the saidboX havingits open face bearing against one of the plates 22, so that the saidplate forms 1 j a closure for the box, and also the plate provides meanswhereby the contents of the box is visible,

To serve as a closure-for the open end of the reduced portion-.2 of' thetrap, Iprovide 1 a plate 25 whichis of asize. sufiiclentto sai .end, andthe said plate has both its snuigly engage between the walls of the Iupper and lower transverse edges bent tov rovide eyes or barrels,-thesaid barrels be ing indicated by the numerals 26 and 27 re spectivelyand having preferably secured therein a pivot rod 28fwhich passesthrough 1 suitable openings in the upper portion of the sides of thetrap, while the lowerportio'n of the sides of" the trap are providedwith openings 29 which are adapted to reg ister with the bore of thebarrel 27 and to receive a removable rod 30 which-normally secures thepivoted plate 25 to the, trap.

' The plate 25 is provided with acentral reduced opening providing'apassage 31.. *Secured in any, desirable or preferred manner the passage31are the side walls 32 of a hallway. The numeral 32 designates-thetopor connecting plate-for the sidesv 33, and by'referenceto Figs. .3and 5 of the. draw- .to the inner. face of the plate, andarranged .fiushwith the edges of the plate providing i ings it will be noted thatthesaid plate 32 is rounded downwardly, the purpose of which arrangementwill'presently be under stood; The lower end of the passage'gis closedthrough the medium of an angular partition 34, while pivotallysecured'within the passage above the saidpartition, as

at 35, is-a curved floor 86 which has its outer end formed with anenlarged platform 37, the said platform weightingthe floor 26 to causethe same to; abut with the rounded wall 3240f the passage .31." By suchanarrangement it will be noted that an animal traveling upon the floor36, in an attempt to secure the bait within the trap, will tilt the saidfloor and be directed Within the trap. It is to be noted that theweighted end or platform 37 of the floor 36 will at all times tilt thesaid floor upon its pivot causing its curved end to contact with thecurved Wall 32 of the passageway 31. Further, it 10,

V removed from the trap.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is: I

1. A trap of the class described having an open end, a plate pivotallyconnected with the trap and closing the said end, removable means forlocking the plate upon the trap,

V Witnesses:

ed downwardly and terminates with the lower-edges of the sides of thepassage, a

floor pivoted between the side walls of the passages and having itsouter end weighted said Plate having a rearvivardliy extending l Walledvpassage, the top of which i n to swing its inner edge into contact withthe V rounded transverse wall of the passage.

2. A trap for the purpose. set forth having an open end, a platepivotally connected with the end for closing the same, a lock 7 rod forsecuring the plate upon the trap, said plate having a central opening,and a gravity door normally closing the opening,

In testimony whereof I a'fiix my signature in presence of two wltnesses.

V JAMES J. MAHONEY, JOHN E. AMBROSE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of-Patents.

Washington, D. C.

CHARLES BOWLING.

